The production cost of Rocky Mountain mineral water is around 2 cents, mainly because glass bottles are expensive.
Adding transportation costs to cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco on the West Coast, the cost would be about 3 cents. If transported to East Coast cities like New York, the cost might reach 6 cents.
"What do you think the price should be?" Hardy asked the group.
Andy thought for a moment, "I think 10 cents is appropriate."
"7 cents." Find the newest release on nοvelfire.net
No one suggested a price higher than 10 cents.
Hardy shook his head. "Coca Cola now sells 30 million bottles a year at a price of 5 cents each, and beer is 10 cents. How many people do you think would be willing to buy a bottle of water for the price of a bottle of Coke or beer?"
"This is why those few mineral water brands don’t sell well. They are positioned incorrectly, treating mineral water as a regular beverage," Hardy explained.
The people in the office were puzzled.
"Boss, isn’t mineral water a beverage?"
Hardy shook his head. "I don’t care about others, but our Rocky Mountain mineral water is not a regular beverage; it’s a luxury item."
"Drinking Rocky Mountain mineral water can beautify and enhance health, promote longevity, and let you feel the freshness of nature and the gift of snowy mountains. Don’t think of it as something to drink just when you’re thirsty. We’re going for the high end market."
The new issue of Playboy was released.
This was already the fourth issue of Playboy, a well known high end magazine. The third issue had already sold 200,000 copies.
From the last issue, advertisements began appearing in the magazine, including brands like Estée Lauder cosmetics, Barbie dolls, and N.Y.T TVs.
In the fourth issue, a large section was dedicated to introducing ’Rocky Mountain Mineral Water’.
It started with a beautiful picture of the Rocky Mountain snow peaks, majestic snow capped mountains, mirror like lakes, and lush pines, resembling a fairy tale wonderland.
"The Rocky Mountains are the spine of America, covered in ice and snow year round, far from any pollution or human contact. The pure ice water from the melting glaciers undergoes natural filtration and mineralization through glacier sand layers over hundreds and thousands of years, infusing the water with natural, balanced, and pure minerals."
"Like a graceful beauty, breathtakingly beautiful."
"Rich in various pure natural minerals, Rocky Mountain mineral water offers the best care for women. Using it to remove makeup won’t harm the skin and can replenish necessary minerals, enhancing skin elasticity and making women look younger."
"It’s not just water; it’s health, beauty, and the future. It’s the deepest love from nature."
The advertisement praised Rocky Mountain Mineral Water as if it were a magical elixir. Even though the water hadn’t been launched yet, it left a deep impression of being high end.
Drinking it was not to quench thirst but for health, the future, luxury, and prestige.
With widespread advertising, Rocky Mountain mineral water officially went on sale, not in grocery stores but directly marketed.
A bottle was priced at $0.50, allocated to bars and nightclubs, and available for private orders.
From the start, it followed a high end route.
Sometimes, the more expensive and harder it is to obtain something, the more people want to try it. In the first week, over 50,000 bottles of Rocky Mountain mineral water were sold.
If this sales volume continued weekly, the annual sales would reach 1.5 million, with the company’s costs being extremely low, potentially yielding millions in profit.
Another enterprise began making money, and Hardy was very pleased.
Moreover, there was more good news. The successful sale of the mineral water pushed up the stock price of Wash Mining, yielding about $200,000 annually. Consequently, Wash Mining was no longer a worthless stock.
One day, Hardy received a call from Hedy Lamarr, informing him that the script for "Ghost" was finished and asking when he could review it.
Hardy happened to be free and drove to Hedy’s studio.
The studio was now more like Hedy’s private residence, and she was casually dressed. She handed a stack of scripts to Hardy.
Hardy read through it and found some parts different from the original "Ghost" he had seen, some better and some worse.
"Hedy, I think the pottery scene needs to be enhanced to make the characters more affectionate."
Hardy knew the pottery scene in "Ghost" was iconic.
"To prepare for this scene, I even got a pottery set to get the feeling, but maybe I didn’t get it right," Hedy said.
Hardy was surprised, "You got a pottery set?"
"Yes, it’s in the next room. Let me show you," Hedy said, leading Hardy to the next room.
The room had a pottery set, with a lump of clay on the wheel and a few misshapen clay figures on a shelf, presumably Hedy’s work.
Hedy turned on the motor and sat down, wetting the clay and starting to work on it. She looked up at Hardy with a smile and said, "After a few attempts, I found that pottery is quite interesting."
"But I haven’t found that passionate feeling yet."
Hardy thought for a moment, then sat behind Hedy. She stiffened slightly as Hardy took her hands, and they started shaping the clay together.
A subtle emotion began to grow between them.
Hedy’s body gradually warmed and softened.
She felt the man kiss her neck.
"Do you feel it now?"
The next day. Hardy brought Hedy to HD Studios and found Director Nolan, "Here’s a script for a fantasy urban romance. Take a look."
Nolan read the script and immediately liked the story. Excited, he said to Hardy, "Mr. Hardy, can I direct this film?"
"Of course, that’s what I had in mind."
"I plan to have Hedy Lamarr as the female lead and find a suitable male lead. We’ll shoot it in color with a budget of about $1.5 million, entirely produced by HD Studios. Do you have confidence in this?"
"Rest assured, Mr. Hardy, I will do my best," Nolan said, excited.